When it comes to putting bodies in the seats at TheDow Event Center's Wendler Arena, the Saginaw Spirit have done their job.

The Ontario Hockey League team has averaged 4,169 fans per regular-season game through its first six seasons, bringing in more than 850,000 fans.

Saginaw has sold out Wendler Arena 23 times in 211 home dates, including seven playoff games. The most recent full house came on Feb. 17 with Kitchener in town.

David A. Sommers | Saginaw News FileIn this March 26 file photo, there are a number of empty seats at Game 3 of the Ontario Hockey League playoff game between the Saginaw Spirit and Soo Greyhounds at TheDow Event Center's Wendler Arena.

But the Spirit are beginning to see some cracks in their wall of support, and they are worried.

"The community support has been great, but certainly, we're concerned about our fan-base because our season tickets are down (from 2,500 to 2,000)," Goslin said. " Our walk-up numbers (game day) are down, too. We need the fans to continue to support us in a big-time way.

"We realize the economy certainly is down. But what's interesting about minor-league sports typically is there is an uptick in tickets sales when the economy is down. The theory behind that is people will stay closer to home for their entertainment and they will do something with those dollars.

"People don't have as many entertainment dollars, so they stay home and go to a (Great Lakes) Loons game or a Spirit game instead of a Tigers or Red Wings game."

So far fans haven't pounded down the Spirit doors for tickets to the season-opener, which takes place at 7:11 p.m. Wednesday at home against the London Knights.

"We have our home-opener coming up ... and I think we only have 2,000 seats sold for that home opener (as of last week). It's the league home-opener and we're going to be front and center throughout all of Canada, and a good portion of the Midwest.

"If we only have 2,000 fans in the seats that will not reflect well on our community. But we certainly feel we are heading in a positive direction."

Mark Constantine is a writer for The Saginaw News. You may reach him by calling 776-9769.